Eating Clean: Protein Desserts

PHOENIX (AZFamily) — Village Health Clubs & Spas Registered Dietitian Jaime Miller joined Good Morning Arizona on Saturday to share some protein dessert recipes.

Protein Banana Pudding

• 1 banana, large and ripe + ½ additional banana for garnish
• 2 cups 2% cottage cheese
• 1 ½  tbsp maple syrup, brown sugar monk fruit, or sweetener of choice
• ½  tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp whipped topping
• 2  tbsp crushed vanilla wafer cookies or graham crackers 

Add 1 banana, cottage cheese, sweetener of choice and vanilla extract to a blender or food processor. Process until smooth and creamy. Portion into two bowls and top each with ¼ sliced banana, 1 tbsp of whipped topping and 1 tbsp crushed cookies of choice. Enjoy immediately. Each bowl contains 30 grams of protein and approximately 285 calories, depending on the whipped topping and cookies used.

Protein Peanut Butter Chocolate Rice Krispie Treats

• 3 cups brown rice crisp cereal 
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter (or nut butter of choice)
• 1/2 cup monk fruit or sweetener that measures like sugar
• 1/4 cup maple syrup, honey, or monk fruit-based syrup
• 90 g collagen peptide powder 
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ¼ tsp salt
• 2 oz. dark chocolate chips, stevia-sweetened or dairy-free optional
• 1-2 tsp coconut oil as needed
• Flaky sea salt to garnish, optional

Pour brown rice crisp cereal into a large bowl and set aside. Line an 8″x 8″ baking pan with parchment paper or plastic wrap and set aside. Melt peanut butter with sweetener and syrup in a saucepan over medium heat. Once melted and glossy, whisk in collagen powder, vanilla, and salt. Stir until smooth (can add 2-3 tbsp. milk if needed). Pour the peanut butter collagen mixture over the brown rice cereal and stir well until the two are fully combined. Place the mixture into the baking pan and press down with a spatula until it is evenly spread.

For the chocolate layer, microwave the dark chocolate and 1 tsp coconut oil in a small mixing bowl. Whisk until smooth. If it is not smooth and is starting to clump, add an additional 1 tsp of coconut oil. Pour over the rice crispy bars. Sprinkle it with flaky sea salt. Refrigerate until the bars are completely cool before cutting. Each bar (1/9 of the recipe) has 14g of protein per serving and 185 calories.

Chocolate Protein Fruit Dip

• 1 1/2 cups nonfat plain Greek yogurt
• 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
• 3 tbsp cocoa powder
• 3 tbsp monk fruit or maple syrup or sweetener of choice
• 1 tsp vanilla extract or ½ tsp almond extract
• ⅛ tsp salt

Add all of the ingredients to a medium-sized mixing bowl. Whisk together until well combined and the dip is smooth and creamy. Serve with fresh fruit, and enjoy! Half of the recipe contains 150 calories and 29 grams of protein.

Protein Edible Cookie Dough

• 1/2 cup protein powder
• 1 can chickpeas 
• 1/2 cup cashew butter or nut butter of choice
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 ½  tsp vanilla extract
• ⅔ cup monk fruit or sweetener of choice that measures like sugar
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips 

Add everything but the chocolate chips to a food processor. Blend until completely smooth. If too dry, add a little milk of choice as needed. Stir in the chocolate chips. Enjoy with a spoon or with sliced apples. ⅙ of the recipe contains 210 calories and 16 grams of protein.

Protein Brownies

• 1 cup almond flour 
• 1/3 cup chocolate protein powder
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder 
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/3 cup melted coconut oil or butter
• 2 eggs
• 2/3 cup monk fruit or sweetener that measures like sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips, optional

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease an 8-inch pan or line it with parchment. Stir all ingredients well. Spread into the pan, using a second sheet of parchment if needed to press down evenly. Bake for 20 minutes, then let cool. They continue to firm up as they cool and also firm up even more if you refrigerate them overnight. Each brownie (1/9 of the recipe) has 155 calories and 12 grams of protein.

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